Sam Tanner knows it to be true - winning isn't everything.
The 21-year-old missed out on a spot in the 2022 World Athletics Championships 1500m finals in the United States of America yesterday (NZ time).
The Pāpāmoa athlete now has new goals heading into the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games next week.
Speaking to the Bay of Plenty Times from Oregon, Tanner said he felt "a little disappointed" that he did not make the final.
"My goal coming here was to try and make the final. But I am proud of how I ran."
But he said finishing with a time of three minutes and 36 seconds and only missing out on the finals by one spot was "a pretty good effort".
Tanner said feelings of disappointment came with part of the job.
"I feel like I deal pretty well with disappointment. It happens more than you win in this sport.
"I deal with it pretty well in a variety of ways whether it is talking with my teammates around me or throwing a rugby ball around and having a bit of a kick around is another way to do it."
Despite not making the finals, Tanner said he was "absolutely" happy with the way he had run in the last couple of days.
He said qualifying for the semifinals in the World Athletics Championships put him in the top 20 world rankings.
"So I think that is pretty exciting being a 21-year-old. I am pretty happy."
Tanner is the only Bay of Plenty athlete in the 20-strong New Zealand team competing at the championships in Oregon from July 15 to 24.
"I didn't even know that, so that is pretty exciting. It is super cool. Little beach kid from Pāpāmoa - that is not too shabby."
Tanner will travel to the pre-camp in Cardiff to prepare for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games next week.
"It will be nice to reset and refresh and get some good training back under the legs."
Tanner said the World Athletics Championships had prepared him "pretty well" for the Commonwealth Games.
"I feel like different athletes run differently from different parts of the world.
"It is definitely exciting going into the Commonwealth Games knowing I have versed some really talented athletes at Worlds."
His plan now was to sit down with his coach, Tauranga's Craig Kirkwood, and "see what he reckons I am capable of".
"I want to make it through the rounds. There is only one round this time. It will just be heats and then finals, so hopefully we get through that pretty comfortably and see what I have got for the final."
But Tanner said he could not have made it where he was without the support of his coach, his wife Melissa and his sponsors.
"I have really enjoyed the experience."